Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

24 reviews

ank3's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity and Car accident

bookwormess's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a good book, I recognize that. However, it was a really hard one to get into. It took me to about 250 pages to feel compelled by the story. I feel that there are other books that I was able to get into more even though I gave them lower star ratings. I wouldn’t read this book again, but it is well-written for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Abortion

torilara's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Car accident, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, and Gun violence

productioneer's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Abandonment, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Death

Minor: Car accident and Vomit

laurabunnett's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, and Homophobia

friendofdorothea's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Police brutality, Misogyny, Car accident, and Grief

britishnbroke's review

dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Although a few things tie together in a nice bow, the strength of the cast of characters, especially our protagonist, and the themes of truth, change, and perseverance make this novel a crowd-pleaser. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Car accident, Grief, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Death, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Police brutality, Abandonment, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Homophobia, and Cursing

Minor: Classism, Vomit, Infidelity, and Abortion

Be aware that there is discussions of marriage outside of wedlock, doubt in religion, bomb threats, and abuse of power in science, education, religious institutions, and television.

miciahsreads's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

characters - 5/1
worldbuilding - 5/1
writing - 5/1
enjoyment - 5/1
plot - 5/1

narration - 1/1

literally phenomenal novel. flawless. i’m obsessed, i’m in love, i’m floored. if i could give this more than five stars i would. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

serenity_by_jan's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book is definitely an enjoyable read, though it is a far cry from historical fiction. The only elements that allude to the time period that the story is supposedly set are the occasional description of the physical setting (appliances, television shows, books). Readers must also suspend belief to entertain the protagonist's uncannily identical mannerisms to modern progressive liberals.

The use of tropes and typecasts severely dim the ingenuity of the book. Most of the plot points can be seen from miles away, but they are still entertaining to see unfurl. Though this book touches on topics such as sexual assault, discrimination, and grief, it reads more like a fluffy beach read than an impactful piece.

Spoiler

The protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, has a genius child and an equally genius dog (the latter of which has many needless monologues of his own). Though this book lacks suspense, it does not bore. Instead, as the reader can already predict the main plot points, the book fills in the threads that lead from one event to the next.
Furthermore, most of the male characters are painstakingly one-dimensional: Lazy, stupid, sexist. We are meant to be fond of Calvin Evans, Zott's partner, though the author's means of provoking this from the reader is by making him the only developed male character. This is a pitiful and cheap way to write, and probably the most disappointing theme in the book.

Finally, although this book is ostensibly feminist, the main plot diverges considerably from its empowering tone and settles resolutely in disappointing territory.

Spoiler

At last, in the final chapters of the book, the protagonist, Zott, gets her job back . . .  due to her relations with a man. The whole ending to the story revolved around her late partner, Calvin Evans; though his life could have made a good story in and of itself, I read this book to see what happens to Zott, not to her partner. It seems as though the author drags you around, getting you attached to Zott, only to reveal that it was Evans' story all along. Disappointing to say the least, though it didn't completely ruin the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt